Showcase of traditional Malay cuisine

Professional cooks are often inspired by their family members and home recipes. For festive buffets, many chefs draw inspiration from the dishes they enjoyed in their youth.

Such is the case for Mohd Aris Daim, who is senior chef de partie at Four Points by Sheraton Puchong in Selangor.

He said his culinary passion began when he was a young child.

“My grandmother operated a food stall where she sold nasi campur in Klang, while my mother was good at making Malay kuih,” said the 37-year-old chef.

With his family’s involvement in the food and beverage sector, it is not surprising that Mohd Aris specialises in Malay cuisine.

He also enjoys creating new dishes. This year, he created the Sup Kambing Merah for the hotel’s Ramadan buffet spread.

“I added tomato paste and a dried chilli blend into the soup. It looks red and has a good combination of sweet, sour and spicy tastes,” he said.

Also included in the spread is the Indonesian dish of Ayam Bakar Taliwang from Lombok, which features roast chicken with black pepper.

Another highlight is the Ikan Siakap Bunga Kantan, where seabass fish is deepfried and topped with a sweet sauce flavoured with torch ginger flower.

The hotel’s nasi minyak is unusually garnished with pomegranate seeds, and is a welcome change from raisins that are typical of the dish.

A crowd favourite is the roast lamb, which is marinated overnight and grilled for two hours, said Mohd Aris.

The fried food section that serves fried prawns, squid balls and squid are also popular with diners.

According to the chef, the buffet offers 180 dishes and the hotel is popular among those from Puchong, Kajang and even Nilai in Seremban.

The buffet is priced at RM168nett per adult and RM138nett per child.

The promotion is available until April 8.

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON PUCHONG Tower 3, Puchong Financial Corporate Centre, Jalan Puteri 1/2, Bandar Puteri, Puchong, Selangor. (Tel: 03-5891 8855/8888). Business hours: 6.30am to 10.30pm, daily.